PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy

by William Doyle

The Hersey article conjured the classic dramaturgy of myth-telling later described by Joseph Campbell as “the standard path of the mythological adventure of the hero”: the rites of passage of separation (the PT 109 sinking), initiation (the ordeal on the islands and abandonment to death), and return (the rescue). Campbell outlined the basic elements of heroic mythology in terms that closely evoke the structure of the saga unveiled in “Survival”: “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder,” “fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won,” and “the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” Hersey’s “Survival” parallels the “Hero’s Journey” described by Campbell in other key ways, including the “threshold crossing,” the “night-sea journey,” the “rescue” and “resurrection,” and even the “helper,” who can be seen as Eroni Kumana and Biuku Gasa, and the “elixir,” which can be interpreted as the symbolic coconuts that nourished the crew (just barely) and bore the message that delivered them from the underworld back to the world of the living. In short, Hersey’s article became the founding document of the John F. Kennedy mythology, helping firmly establish him as a hero in twentieth-century American political culture.